Creatives Prevail

Joey Vesely of post hardcore band Trace Remains talks about growing up in the Pittsburgh DIY scene and the challenge of getting people’s attention without losing what makes the band authentic. We also discuss their new single and music video “Breathing Air”.

Key Takeaways

• Authentic content is hard because there is no perfect formula. The best approach is often to keep testing ideas while making sure they still connect back to the core project.

• Burnout is real, especially when one person is handling the creative work, marketing, content, logistics, and promotion. Joey finds energy in the moments that remind him why he started, like shows, studio time, and video shoots.

• Don’t settle too early. Sometimes the best version of a song, campaign, or creative idea comes after pushing a little further than feels comfortable.

  
  

Follow Trace Remains:

Instagram 

Spotify

YouTube

Follow Creatives Prevail:

Instagram

TikTok

Website

Sign up for our newsletter The Monthly Scramble for featured episodes, reviews and more success stories!

Want to take a moment to recommend RootNote, a platform that helps creators track their stats and growth across multiple platforms, and makes it easy to share clean analytics with potential partners without constantly updating your one sheet or sponsorship deck. It’s also especially useful for agencies managing creator rosters.

They’re also currently offering a course with step-by-step lessons on how creators can secure brand deals and build better partnerships.

Use code CREATIVESPREVAIL for 30% off the $297 course plus RootNote Premium access at rootnote.co. And yes, we get a commission.

Note: We ONLY make recommendations for products and services that we have tried ourselves and believe in their results as well as the people behind them.

We would love to hear from you! Please give us a review, this really helps get others to listen in. Any suggestions on how we can improve? DM us on Instagram or TikTok.

Host: Mike Zimmerlich

Produced by: Omelette Prevail

Post-Production: EarthtoMoira

Music by: Daphne Greene

Tech Specs:

Mic and Headphone Setup:

Limelight Dynamic Mic (512 Audio / Warm Audio)

Vocaster One (Focusrite)

MBS9500 Microphone Boom Arm (On-Stage)

Pro X2 Headphones (Logitech)

Light Setup:

Litra Beam (Logitech)

Glide Lively Wall Lights (Govee)

Squares (Twinkly)

Key Light (Elgato)

Post-hardcore artist MADiSON ViOLETT discusses how she was able to drop seven singles in a year without burning out. We also talk about her latest release, “Bleed for Me,” and how she landed Kellin Quinn from Sleeping with Sirens as a featured artist.

Follow MADiSON ViOLETT:

Spotify

TikTok

Instagram

Follow Creatives Prevail:

Instagram

TikTok

Website

Trying to stay consistent with your own creative work? Sign up for The Monthly Scramble for featured episodes, collaboration ideas, creative lessons, and more stories about turning momentum into real growth.

Want to take a moment to recommend RootNote, a platform that helps creators track their stats and growth across multiple platforms, and makes it easy to share clean analytics with potential partners without constantly updating your one sheet or sponsorship deck. It’s also especially useful for agencies managing creator rosters.

They’re also currently offering a course with step-by-step lessons on how creators can secure brand deals and build better partnerships.

Use code CREATIVESPREVAIL for 30% off the $297 course plus RootNote Premium access at rootnote.co. And yes, we get a commission.

Note: We ONLY make recommendations for products and services that we have tried ourselves and believe in their results as well as the people behind them.

We would love to hear from you! Please give us a review, this really helps get others to listen in. Any suggestions on how we can improve? DM us on Instagram or TikTok.

Host: Mike Zimmerlich

Produced by: Omelette Prevail

Post-Production: EarthtoMoira

Music by: Daphne Greene

Tech Specs:

Mic and Headphone Setup:

Limelight Dynamic Mic (512 Audio / Warm Audio)

Vocaster One (Focusrite)

MBS9500 Microphone Boom Arm (On-Stage)

Pro X2 Headphones (Logitech)

Light Setup:

Litra Beam (Logitech)

Glide Lively Wall Lights (Govee)

Squares (Twinkly)

Key Light (Elgato)

Rivkah Reyes, known for playing Katie in the film School of Rock, shares how she’s built her own creative identity across music, acting, writing, and filmmaking. We also discuss her award-winning short film "Gianna” and her latest single and music video “Miss Congeniality”.

Follow Rivkah Reyes:

Instagram 

TikTok

Spotify

Follow Creatives Prevail:

Instagram

TikTok

Website

Want more stories about turning messy creative chapters into momentum? Sign up for The Monthly Scramble for featured episodes, collaboration ideas, reviews, and more creative success stories from artists, storytellers, and creative entrepreneurs.

Want to take a moment to recommend RootNote, a platform that helps creators track their stats and growth across multiple platforms, and makes it easy to share clean analytics with potential partners without constantly updating your one sheet or sponsorship deck. It’s also especially useful for agencies managing creator rosters.

They’re also currently offering a course with step-by-step lessons on how creators can secure brand deals and build better partnerships.

Use code CREATIVESPREVAIL for 30% off the $297 course plus RootNote Premium access at rootnote.co. And yes, we get a commission.

Note: We ONLY make recommendations for products and services that we have tried ourselves and believe in their results as well as the people behind them.

We would love to hear from you! Please give us a review, this really helps get others to listen in. Any suggestions on how we can improve? DM us on Instagram or TikTok.

Host: Mike Zimmerlich

Produced by: Omelette Prevail

Post-Production: EarthtoMoira

Music by: Daphne Greene

Tech Specs:

Mic and Headphone Setup:

Limelight Dynamic Mic (512 Audio / Warm Audio)

Vocaster One (Focusrite)

MBS9500 Microphone Boom Arm (On-Stage)

Pro X2 Headphones (Logitech)

Light Setup:

Litra Beam (Logitech)

Glide Lively Wall Lights (Govee)

Squares (Twinkly)

Key Light (Elgato)

Eric Colville of The Low Stakes Band talks about writing songs that feel true instead of chasing what sounds commercial. We also discuss their single “Upon the Wall”, revisiting old ideas, and building a regional following.

Key Takeaways:

• Writing something honest is usually stronger than trying to guess what people want.

• The songs that feel too personal or revealing can often be the ones that connect the most.

• Old ideas are worth revisiting, especially when life or current events suddenly give them new meaning.

• Touring only makes sense when you’re honest about the goal, whether that’s money, growth, travel, or experience.

• Building regionally can be a smarter path than jumping into a full tour before there’s demand.

  
  

Follow Low Stakes Band:

Facebook

Instagram

Website

Follow Creatives Prevail:

Instagram

TikTok

Website

Want more honest conversations about creativity, songwriting, and building something that connects? Sign up for The Monthly Scramble for featured Creatives Prevail episodes, collaboration ideas, creator insights, and more stories from artists figuring it out in real time.

Want to take a moment to recommend RootNote, a platform that helps creators track their stats and growth across multiple platforms, and makes it easy to share clean analytics with potential partners without constantly updating your one sheet or sponsorship deck. It’s also especially useful for agencies managing creator rosters.

They’re also currently offering a course with step-by-step lessons on how creators can secure brand deals and build better partnerships.

Use code CREATIVESPREVAIL for 30% off the $297 course plus RootNote Premium access at rootnote.co. And yes, we get a commission.

Note: We ONLY make recommendations for products and services that we have tried ourselves and believe in their results as well as the people behind them.

We would love to hear from you! Please give us a review, this really helps get others to listen in. Any suggestions on how we can improve? DM us on Instagram or TikTok.

Host: Mike Zimmerlich

Produced by: Omelette Prevail

Post-Production: EarthtoMoira

Music by: Daphne Greene

Tech Specs:

Mic and Headphone Setup:

Limelight Dynamic Mic (512 Audio / Warm Audio)

Vocaster One (Focusrite)

MBS9500 Microphone Boom Arm (On-Stage)

Pro X2 Headphones (Logitech)

Light Setup:

Litra Beam (Logitech)

Glide Lively Wall Lights (Govee)

Squares (Twinkly)

Key Light (Elgato)

Musician and artist Jaclyn Dima talks about growing up in a musical family, finding her way through open mics and teaching, and returning to music with her latest single “I Won’t Dance For You.” We also get into genre hopping, perfectionism, and why she refuses to pick just one lane.

Key Takeaways:

• You never really stop being a student, especially if you’re building a creative life.

• Sometimes the path that works is the one you accidentally fall into, then choose to keep following.

• Not every artist needs to pick one genre lane, especially when the audience connects with the person behind the work.

• Details matter but at some point you have to stop tweaking and release the thing.

• Joy is part of the creative process too.

  
  

Follow Jaclyn:

Instagram 

Linktree

Follow Creatives Prevail:

Instagram

TikTok

Website

Want more reminders that creative growth does not always follow a straight line? Sign up for The Monthly Scramble for featured episodes, collaboration ideas, creator takeaways, and more stories from artists who keep finding their way forward.

Want to take a moment to recommend RootNote, a platform that helps creators track their stats and growth across multiple platforms, and makes it easy to share clean analytics with potential partners without constantly updating your one sheet or sponsorship deck. It’s also especially useful for agencies managing creator rosters.

They’re also currently offering a course with step-by-step lessons on how creators can secure brand deals and build better partnerships.

Use code CREATIVESPREVAIL for 30% off the $297 course plus RootNote Premium access at rootnote.co. And yes, we get a commission.

Note: We ONLY make recommendations for products and services that we have tried ourselves and believe in their results as well as the people behind them.

We would love to hear from you! Please give us a review, this really helps get others to listen in. Any suggestions on how we can improve? DM us on Instagram or TikTok.

Host: Mike Zimmerlich

Produced by: Omelette Prevail

Post-Production: EarthtoMoira

Music by: Daphne Greene

Tech Specs:

Mic and Headphone Setup:

Limelight Dynamic Mic (512 Audio / Warm Audio)

Vocaster One (Focusrite)

MBS9500 Microphone Boom Arm (On-Stage)

Pro X2 Headphones (Logitech)

Light Setup:

Litra Beam (Logitech)

Glide Lively Wall Lights (Govee)

Squares (Twinkly)

Key Light (Elgato)

Dallas Jackson, Founder of TipSee Music and The Hondo Rodeo Fest, shares how he went from finance to building music tech and event startups. We talk about making song requests and tipping easier for musicians, learning by doing, using AI to stay lean, and why integrity matters when you’re building something from scratch.

Key Takeaways

• Big ideas become manageable when you break them into steps and stay willing to pivot.

• Solving a real friction point matters more than building something flashy.

• Getting creators to adopt a new tool often starts with trust, demos, and proof of concept.

• AI can help startups stay lean, but the goal should be efficiency, not replacing people.

• Reputation and integrity matter, especially in creative industries where relationships drive everything.

  
  

Follow Dallas:

Website (TipSee Music)

Instagram (TipSee Music)

Follow Creatives Prevail:

Instagram

TikTok

Website

Want more ideas on turning creative friction into real opportunities? Sign up for our newsletter, The Monthly Scramble, for featured episodes, creator insights, reviews, and more stories from people building things their own way.

Want to take a moment to recommend RootNote, a platform that helps creators track their stats and growth across multiple platforms, and makes it easy to share clean analytics with potential partners without constantly updating your one sheet or sponsorship deck. It’s also especially useful for agencies managing creator rosters.

They’re also currently offering a course with step-by-step lessons on how creators can secure brand deals and build better partnerships.

Use code CREATIVESPREVAIL for 30% off the $297 course plus RootNote Premium access at rootnote.co. And yes, we get a commission.

Note: We ONLY make recommendations for products and services that we have tried ourselves and believe in their results as well as the people behind them.

We would love to hear from you! Please give us a review, this really helps get others to listen in. Any suggestions on how we can improve? DM us on Instagram or TikTok.

Host: Mike Zimmerlich

Produced by: Omelette Prevail

Post-Production: EarthtoMoira

Music by: Daphne Greene

Tech Specs:

Mic and Headphone Setup:

Limelight Dynamic Mic (512 Audio / Warm Audio)

Vocaster One (Focusrite)

MBS9500 Microphone Boom Arm (On-Stage)

Pro X2 Headphones (Logitech)

Light Setup:

Litra Beam (Logitech)

Glide Lively Wall Lights (Govee)

Squares (Twinkly)

Key Light (Elgato)

Publicist and artist Dani Felt shares her journey from a successful music blog to building her own company, writing a book, and navigating both sides of the industry with a heavy focus on relationships, risk, and self-belief.

Key Takeaways:

• Relationships are everything in both business and creativity

• Getting fired or rejected can redirect you toward the right opportunity

• Taking risks is often necessary to level up professionally and creatively

• Having multiple skills and revenue streams creates more freedom as an artist

• Tune out advice from people who are not where you want to be

  
  

Follow Dani Felt:

Becoming Unstoppable (Book)

Website

Instagram

Follow Creatives Prevail:

Instagram

TikTok

Website

Sign up for our newsletter The Monthly Scramble for featured episodes, reviews and more success stories!

Want to take a moment to recommend RootNote, a platform that helps creators track their stats and growth across multiple platforms, and makes it easy to share clean analytics with potential partners without constantly updating your one sheet or sponsorship deck. It’s also especially useful for agencies managing creator rosters.

They’re also currently offering a course with step-by-step lessons on how creators can secure brand deals and build better partnerships.

Use code CREATIVESPREVAIL for 30% off the $297 course plus RootNote Premium access at rootnote.co. And yes, we get a commission.

Note: We ONLY make recommendations for products and services that we have tried ourselves and believe in their results as well as the people behind them.

We would love to hear from you! Please give us a review, this really helps get others to listen in. Any suggestions on how we can improve? DM us on Instagram or TikTok.

Host: Mike Zimmerlich

Produced by: Omelette Prevail

Post-Production: EarthtoMoira

Music by: Daphne Greene

Tech Specs:

Mic and Headphone Setup:

Limelight Dynamic Mic (512 Audio / Warm Audio)

Vocaster One (Focusrite)

MBS9500 Microphone Boom Arm (On-Stage)

Pro X2 Headphones (Logitech)

Light Setup:

Litra Beam (Logitech)

Glide Lively Wall Lights (Govee)

Squares (Twinkly)

Key Light (Elgato)

Founder of GigSalad, Mark Steiner, shares how he went from being a talent agent to building one of the first online marketplaces for entertainers long before Uber and Airbnb existed. We also talk about being the top platform for mariachi bands and Santa Claus bookings as well as an honest chat about burnout, creativity, and what keeps him inspired.

Follow GigSalad:

Website

Follow Creatives Prevail:

Instagram

TikTok

Website

Sign up for our newsletter The Monthly Scramble for featured episodes, reviews and more success stories!

Want to take a moment to recommend RootNote, a platform that helps creators track their stats and growth across multiple platforms, and makes it easy to share clean analytics with potential partners without constantly updating your one sheet or sponsorship deck. It’s also especially useful for agencies managing creator rosters.

They’re also currently offering a course with step-by-step lessons on how creators can secure brand deals and build better partnerships.

Use code CREATIVESPREVAIL for 30% off the $297 course plus RootNote Premium access at rootnote.co. And yes, we get a commission.

Note: We ONLY make recommendations for products and services that we have tried ourselves and believe in their results as well as the people behind them.

We would love to hear from you! Please give us a review, this really helps get others to listen in. Any suggestions on how we can improve? DM us on Instagram or TikTok.

Host: Mike Zimmerlich

Produced by: Omelette Prevail

Post-Production: EarthtoMoira

Music by: Daphne Greene

Tech Specs:

Mic and Headphone Setup:

Limelight Dynamic Mic (512 Audio / Warm Audio)

Vocaster One (Focusrite)

MBS9500 Microphone Boom Arm (On-Stage)

Pro X2 Headphones (Logitech)

Light Setup:

Litra Beam (Logitech)

Glide Lively Wall Lights (Govee)

Squares (Twinkly)

Key Light (Elgato)

Ian and Danielle of Orphan Prodigy dive into building a band from the ground up, from overcoming burnout and mental health struggles to creating a full scale project through production, live streaming, and touring. 

Follow Orphan Prodigy:

Instagram 

Spotify

Website

Follow Creatives Prevail:

Instagram

TikTok

Website

Sign up for our newsletter The Monthly Scramble for featured episodes, reviews and more success stories!

Want to take a moment to recommend RootNote, a platform that helps creators track their stats and growth across multiple platforms, and makes it easy to share clean analytics with potential partners without constantly updating your one sheet or sponsorship deck. It’s also especially useful for agencies managing creator rosters.

They’re also currently offering a course with step-by-step lessons on how creators can secure brand deals and build better partnerships.

Use code CREATIVESPREVAIL for 30% off the $297 course plus RootNote Premium access at rootnote.co. And yes, we get a commission.

Note: We ONLY make recommendations for products and services that we have tried ourselves and believe in their results as well as the people behind them.

We would love to hear from you! Please give us a review, this really helps get others to listen in. Any suggestions on how we can improve? DM us on Instagram or TikTok.

Host: Mike Zimmerlich

Produced by: Omelette Prevail

Post-Production: EarthtoMoira

Music by: Daphne Greene

Tech Specs:

Mic and Headphone Setup:

Limelight Dynamic Mic (512 Audio / Warm Audio)

Vocaster One (Focusrite)

MBS9500 Microphone Boom Arm (On-Stage)

Pro X2 Headphones (Logitech)

Light Setup:

Litra Beam (Logitech)

Glide Lively Wall Lights (Govee)

Squares (Twinkly)

Key Light (Elgato)

Chris Laxamana shares his journey from the early days of podcasting to becoming the showrunner and co-host of The Adam Carolla Show and host of the hit podcast Resume. We discuss what truly makes great content and what keeps people coming back.

Follow Chris Laxamana:

Instagram

Follow Creatives Prevail:

Instagram

TikTok

Website

Sign up for our newsletter The Monthly Scramble for featured episodes, reviews and more success stories!

Want to take a moment to recommend RootNote, a platform that helps creators track their stats and growth across multiple platforms, and makes it easy to share clean analytics with potential partners without constantly updating your one sheet or sponsorship deck. It’s also especially useful for agencies managing creator rosters.

They’re also currently offering a course with step-by-step lessons on how creators can secure brand deals and build better partnerships.

Use code CREATIVESPREVAIL for 30% off the $297 course plus RootNote Premium access at rootnote.co. And yes, we get a commission.

Note: We ONLY make recommendations for products and services that we have tried ourselves and believe in their results as well as the people behind them.

We would love to hear from you! Please give us a review, this really helps get others to listen in. Any suggestions on how we can improve? DM us on Instagram or TikTok.

Host: Mike Zimmerlich

Produced by: Omelette Prevail

Post-Production: EarthtoMoira

Music by: Daphne Greene

Tech Specs:

Mic and Headphone Setup:

Limelight Dynamic Mic (512 Audio / Warm Audio)

Vocaster One (Focusrite)

MBS9500 Microphone Boom Arm (On-Stage)

Pro X2 Headphones (Logitech)

Light Setup:

Litra Beam (Logitech)

Glide Lively Wall Lights (Govee)

Squares (Twinkly)

Key Light (Elgato)